Till The Wheels Fall Off
by coffeeandhope
Summary: 4x23 post-ep. Those three rounds between "Always" and "After The Storm".
1. Chapter 1

Their lips parted on matching smiles as Beckett led Castle through his office. He wanted to speak - tried to speak - but was still too scared of spooking the glowing creature in front of him. She smiled when they entered the bedroom, no longer Robin in the Batcave. What did that make her now? Selina Kyle? Talia al Ghul? She pushed the Castle-esque thought out of her head and turned to face the man in question. He stared at her tentatively and she simpered, the damage that she had done all too evident in his eyes. Tonight. Tonight was about showing him just how much he meant to her.

Beckett touched her fingers to Castle's lips before slipping her already open shirt off of one shoulder. He gently brushed back her rain soaked hair, both of the partners' eyes fluttering closed momentarily, before backing her towards the bed. It was a sort of dance that they did, but Castle was still tentative - still afraid that she was going to break.

But she grasped onto his biceps once she was on her back, leaning up to capture his lips with her own, another crack of lighting sounding in the distance. From there they sank into the kiss, his tongue sliding along the edges of her lips before being granted access. They stayed like that for some time, just making out on the bed like a pair of teenagers, before they both needed more.

Beckett pushed back on Castle, keeping her lips on his as she began to work at the buttons of his purple shirt. He finished the job on her own blouse, immediately latching onto her neck and sucking on her pulse point.

Castle snaked his arms around his partner's back, hand at the clasp of her bra, and moved back to check that it really was okay. Her dark eyes were all the answer he needed, the hazel almost completely engulfed by black, desire pooling in her core.

Castle's jaw hung slightly agape after ridding Beckett of her lacy bra, and he sat back on his heels, just admiring the woman before him. "Castle," she huffed out, the nerves bubbling up again, competing against the fire in her veins.

"Hm?" he hummed, leaning forward to draw one of her stiff peaks into his mouth, palming her other breast.

Beckett moaned, arching up into the warm cavern of his mouth as his tongue swirled around her nipple. "You were staring."

He releases her with a pop and pays equal homage to her other breast, smirking against her soft chest. "I can't help it, you're beautiful." She sucked in a gasp as he ran his hands down her side, smoothing his palms over her hips and pulling back. "Did I hurt you?"

Beckett let out a breathy giggle - yes, giggle. "No, you're just… sweet. You're really sweet." Castle released a hot breath as Beckett hauled him down, chest-to-chest, his mouth at her shoulder. "You're really sweet," she repeated as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Castle trailed his lips across Beckett's chest, forcing her to loosen her hold on him, and began unbuckling her pants, taking off her heels before pulling down the soaked skinny jeans.

As sexy as it was, Richard Castle stripping her bare, Beckett couldn't contain her laughter as he struggled to get the pants off of her ankles. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching - half amused, half aroused - as he got off the bed and worked the jeans off of her heels, stroking the souls of her feet as he did so.

Castle threw the jeans off to the side - grinning in victory as they hit one of the walls - before crawling back over his partner, circling his thumbs over her ankles and running his hands up her legs.

She sucked in a breath when he got the the apex of her thighs, hovering just above where she wanted him.

But that wasn't what was supposed to happen.

She needed to show him.

"Castle."

"Yeah?" He grinned, kissing the top of her thighs.

"Not like this." He looked momentarily hurt, but she reached up, smoothing her thumb over the creases of his forehead. "Later," she sighed. "Believe me, I want that. But after."

"After?" His eyebrows knitted together, confused and looking like a little boy.

"Together." Beckett sat up and began removing Castle's belt. "Partners, right."

Castle kissed her, the pair on their knees, and she shrugged off his slacks and boxers in one swift move, allowing him to kick them, along with his shoes, off to the side, joining the rest of their clothing. Castle cupped Beckett through her underwear, damp from more than just the rain, teasing the only barrier between them as he pushed her back.

Beckett grasped Castle's length in her hand, slowly stroking and smoothing her thumb over the swollen tip from where he hovered over her. Blue eyes met hazel briefly, searching for any last doubts, but Beckett only brought him to her core, running his shaft through her slick folds. "Oh my god," they spoke at once, lips searching frantically for each other as both of their eyes fluttered shut.

She positioned him at her entrance, and he slid in with one quick thrust.

Castle stilled in his position, giving Beckett a moment to adjust. Hell, he needed the moment. "You feel so good," he moaned, opening his eyes to see matching bliss on Beckett's face.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, before pressing her heel into his back and murmuring, "Move."

Castle dipped his forehead to Beckett's and slid in further, now fully enveloped in her heat, and began to slowly thrust, pulling out until he was almost completely unsheathed before plunging right back in.

Beckett lifted up, meeting Castle thrust for thrust, so that their pelvises met in such a way that every pump brought this delicious pressure to the bundle of nerves right at her front.

The pace remained slow for some time, the partners reveling in the moment, the union. However, sentiment soon turned to speed, as their thrusts became sloppier, all attempts at kissing simply a clash of teeth, until it finally became too much. "Kate, I'm not going to be able to hold on much longer."

She bit into his shoulder as he hit right in that spot and moaned, "I'm right there with you." Castle nodded and rocked into Beckett, waiting until she opened her eyes, fluttering, but open. "What are you doing?"

"Look at me for this?" He asked in such a tender, loving way, that Beckett couldn't help but reach up and capture his lips, trying to display gratitude despite the fact that they were both still very much on the edge.

"Of course." Beckett met his eyes, reflecting all of the same feelings, and grabbed Castle's hand, bringing it to where they were connected. "Always," she breathed, spurring him into action.

Only a few thrusts later were they both falling over the edge, the clamping of her inner muscles pulling him along, spilling inside with hot spurts.

Castle couldn't help but collapse on Beckett at that point - any strength, any resolve gone. She didn't seem to mind, though, simply running her hands through his hair, down his arms, trailing along the sweat at the small of his back, holding him closer.

When Castle finally rolled off of her, not wanting to crush her, and pulled out, Beckett whined at the loss of contact. He simply stood up, though, naked in all his glory and reached back for her. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of the place."

Beckett's eyebrows quirked up and she took his hand tentatively, but followed him nonetheless as he brought her towards a side room. "Castle, I'm not having any of your family walk in on us naked. I will not make Alexis live with that image."

Castle huffed out a laugh and brought Beckett into the dimly lit bathroom. "First thing, our tour starts and ends her. And second, both mother and Alexis are gone for the night."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Okay." Castle still hadn't let go over hand, bringing her with him as he turned on the shower, testing the temperature with his free hand.

He looked over his shoulder, wiggling his eyebrows, and said in a husky voice, "Care to join me, detective?"

Beckett bit into her bottom lip. "Actually, it's not detective anymore." Castle's eyebrows bunched together, obviously confused, but she simply squeezed his hand and pulled him into the shower. "Come on, Mr. Castle. I'll tell you the whole story, but first let's get cleaned up."


	2. Chapter 2

Castle shut the glass door of the shower, eyes raking over Beckett's bare body, but stilling once she turned around. She smirked. "See something you like, Castle?" She huffed when he didn't move, simply eyeing her abdomen. "Castle?"

"What happened?" he asked, voice gentle and filled with concern.

Beckett looked down, the spray from one of the shower heads hitting her back in an almost painful way, and she remembered the fight.

Multiple bruises had already begun blooming across her body: the blows from Maddox to her abdomen and back, the marks from being thrown off the side of the building, even her torn up nails were glaringly obvious. "I, um… Maddox got the drop on Espo and I... and he threw me off the side of a building." She blurted out the last bit, all the while avoiding making eye contact.

"He threw you off a building?" Castle brought his hands to Beckett's cheeks and carefully tilted her head up.

Beckett leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss to Castle's mouth, before resting her head under his chin. He folded her into his arms, bodies fitting perfectly together. "Tell me more?" he whispered into her hairline.

Beckett sighed, "Ryan pulled me up. He came with Gates and a team."

"Oh."

"I got suspended."

"'Sito too?"

"Mhmm," she hummed into his collarbone. "But I resigned."

Castle's breath hitched and he pulled them apart. "Wait, why?"

Beckett ran her hands down his arms, doing her best to soothe him. "I told you before… I just want you." Castle drew her in again for a deep kiss before turning up the water and dropping to his knees. "Castle!" Beckett squeaked as he pulled her towards him, spreading her legs wide.

He made his way up her thighs, nipping and licking, eyes flicking up to watch as the flush spread across her chest, before pressing the flat of his tongue to her center.

Beckett's reaction was instantaneous, arching up into Castle's mouth and letting out a loud, uninhibited moan.

He tightened his hold on her waist, slicking his tongue through her folds before sucking hard on her clit.

The noises she made were incredible, a soundtrack that Castle wanted to hear for the rest of his life.

He grazed the bundle of nerves at Beckett's front with his teeth before slipping in one, then two, of his thick digits.

Castle looked up briefly to watch as Beckett let loose another loud groan, and lifted her left leg over his shoulder. Her panting continued as he added another finger, her silken walls easily accommodating, encouraging him to speed up the pace, which he did with gusto.

It only took a few more pumps until the searing hot, bright waves of release spread through Beckett, had her chanting his name over and over.

Castle stood just in time to catch Beckett as she stumbled forward in the spacious shower. "You okay?"

She huffed out a breath against his chest, turning to rest her cheek again his pec. "Yeah. That was just… epic."

Castle kissed her then, and slid his tongue into Beckett's warm mouth, where she tasted the unique mix of him and her together.

The partners stayed like that for a while, holding onto each other as they soaked up the hot water, both relishing in the togetherness of it all, before Beckett's hands began to wander.

She squeezed his ass before shifting towards the heavy member of him that was currently settled against her stomach. Beckett stroked Castle, pumping the hot, thick length of him, before he turned them, pinning her to the wall.

Castle swatted her hands away from his shaft with a smirk, hoisting her up so that her legs were wrapped around his waist.

Castle teased Beckett's entrance with his tip once he ensured that she was securely situated, his body and the wall holding her up, before sliding inside in one swift movement.

They released twin moans at the connection, Beckett already needing to go again and Castle rock hard. He dipped his head into her chest and laved his tongue over her bullet wound. "I almost lost you, Kate."

Her hips canted forward in time with his thrust and she gasped before mumbling, "Shh. I'm right here." Castle thrust again and she noted that her chest was growing increasingly damp, a mix of shower water and… tears? "Look at me," Beckett practically begged as Castle continued with his slow thrusts, her back sliding against the tile wall. He did as he was told, but kept up his ministrations, all the while holding eye contact. "I'm here." She brought one of his hands to her chest, covering the bullet scar, along with the rest of her heart. "And this is yours, okay?" She sighed and squeezed his hand before murmuring, "If you still want it…"

Castle thrust particularly deep, eliciting a loud gasp from Beckett, and said, "I will always want you. Partners, remember?"

Beckett pulled herself closer to him, resting cheek-to-cheek. "Till the wheels fall off."

Castle grunted, picking up his pace as any blood that he been left in his head rushed south, and sure enough - none more than a half dozen thrusts later - they were both coming apart, swallowing each other's cries of release.

Castle's knees began to buckle and he slowly lowered them both to the floor, turning off the water on the way down. It was his turn to have his back against the wall, Beckett still straddling him and painting lazy, open-mouthed kisses across his chest.

He sighed contentedly and stroked her back, mumbling a slew of promises into the air, content to just be as the air went from steamy to cool.

Beckett was the first to shiver and Castle instantly began to stand up, not needing her to be soaking wet and freezing for the second time that night.

He guided his partner out of the shower and wrapped her up in a sinfully soft white towel, before fashioning one around his own waist and turning to look at the pair of them in the mirror.

He had just met the reflection of Beckett's eyes when his grin dropped and he turned to look at her, face-to-face. "Castle, what's wrong?" she asked, concern covering her features.

He wiped his hand over his face and began to pace. "We didn't use protection. We went two rounds and I completely forgot to use a condom." He turned again to face Beckett. "I mean, I'm clean… but I completely spaced on birth control. I'm usually so good about that. I just… it got away from me. Beckett, I'm so…" He trailed off when he saw her smile, adjusting the towel that was tucked under her arms. "What?"

She giggled. "Castle, I'm on the pill."

"Oh." Relief washed over his features and he immediately stepped closer.

"And I'm clean, so there's no need to worry about that." She tucked her wet hair behind her ears and reached out her hand, which Castle happily took, following her back into the bedroom. "I usually use condoms too, but with you…" She offered a shy smile and undid the knot of her towel, letting it drop around her feet.

Castle smiled, tossing aside his own towel and following Beckett's lead as she crawled into bed. "I feel the same."

He pulled back the covers for her and she climbed in so that she was half on top of him, before releasing a big yawn. Kate Beckett was a cuddler. Castle would have probed more, but he must have "caught" her yawn and felt the post-coital sleepiness coming over both of them. He brushed his lips to her hairline and adjusted himself so that she was in the embrace of both of his arms. "Please be here when I wake up."

"Of course, Castle." She swatted at his chest before rolling in closer, the two sharing one pillow. "I'm here to stay."


	3. Chapter 3

Her heavy breathing woke him, ragged and bare, the screams caught in her throat and unable to get past her lips. "Castle," she whisper-shouted. "Stay with me." 

Beckett's eyes were darting everywhere under her eyelids and it took all of his willpower not to shake her awake, take her out of the nightmare right then and there. 

But he knew better. 

He did research after the sniper case, recognized the post traumatic stress symptoms his partner was exhibiting. You don't just force someone to wake up, it needs to be their choice. 

Castle shifted so that he was hovering over Beckett and whispered, "Kate, wake up. I'm right here." She continued to shift and let out an agonizing moan with Castle, no mixed in. "You're having a nightmare. Kate, open your eyes." The repetition of the victim's name was supposed to help, and it did, he noted, as her eyes fluttered open. 

"Castle." She looked terrified and confused, the green overtaking the brown of her eyes in all out panic. "Castle," she sighed and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down on top of her. 

Castle's breath hitched, fearful again of hurting her, but she only held him tighter, wrapping her legs around him and nuzzling her face into his shoulder. 

They stayed like that for some time before Castle finally rolled off, pulling her halfway with him so that they were still twined together, and searched her eyes for something. They weren't as scared. Sad, yes. But also… hopeful? 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

She bit into her bottom lip - God, she was going to destroy that thing one day - but nodded. "It was you." Castle's brow furrowed together, looking to Beckett for some elaboration. "In the grass. At Montgomery's funeral." He didn't need the last detail to know what she was referring to, the bright, almost sickly green of the grass forever seared in his memory. "I can't… I can't lose you, Rick." 

She buried her face in his chest, crying quietly as he stroked her hair. "Do these happen a lot?" He felt her head move against his chest in a silent yes. He simply squeezed her sides, careful of the bruises, but firm enough that she knew he was there, that he was real. "What do you normally do?" Castle hated the hopelessness in his voice, but he didn't know what else to say. 

She looked up suddenly, eyes darkening. "Show me you're here." 

"What?" 

Beckett didn't say anything else, but instead swung her leg over his hip, straddling him. "Help me reaffirm life." 

Had it been anyone else the seductive tone might have worked in masking the grief in her voice, but not with Beckett. No, he had spent four years studying her: learning the way her mind worked, the ways she'd managed to revive her broken heart.

She was sliding her hands down his chest, towards his waist, when he stilled her movements. She looked up at him confused and he freed one hand to brush back some of her now wavy hair. "Beckett, I don't think this is a good idea." 

She used the hand that was out of Castle's grasp to stroke his thick length, already hard under her fingertips. "I beg to differ." 

He sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "That's not what I meant. I just… you're upset. And I don't want our sex to be just something that helps you forget. I want it to mean to you what it means to me." 

Beckett offered a small smile and readjusted herself in his lap, hands planted firmly on his traps. "Let me show you what it means to me." 

Castle's eyes seemed to darken a few shades of blue as Beckett pulled herself to him, pressing their chests tightly together and circling her hips, his throbbing shaft trapped between them. 

She sucked on his pulse point, pleased at the rapid increase, before making her way up the slope of his neck and nipping at his ear. "I love your laugh, your smile… that cheeky grin when you say something dirty and get away with it." She brought his length to her entrance, erect nipples still pressed tightly to him. "Seriously, it makes me want to drag you into the supply closet and have my wicked way with you." 

Beckett slid onto Castle, the partners releasing twin moans, and brought his hand to where they met, feeling her wetness. "Oh, Kate." 

She grinned, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Do you feel that?" He nodded dumbly. "That's what you do to me, Castle. That's how you make me feel." 

He leaned down to pull one of her breasts into his mouth - sucking and swirling - and palmed the other with his free hand. She rose over him - her hair wild and rampant, moans wanton and needy. 

"And I love it when you bring me coffee." He bit down gently at that, before switching his attention to her other breast. "It's just…" She slowed to a stop and squeezed her inner muscles, whispering, "thank you, Castle." 

"Always," he murmured. 

They shared a deep kiss before Beckett picked up the pace, rocking and moaning, grinding and grunting. 

Castle met her thrust for thrust, similar sounds of ecstasy escaping his lips. 

It didn't take long until Beckett was chanting his name, gently cupping his balls, giving him all he needed to come right along with her. 

He opened his eyes to watch as she came apart, which only doubled his own bliss. 

Castle and Beckett stayed connected long after they had come down from their high, he resting against the headboard and she against his chest. He draw lazy patterns on the skin of her back, gently scribbling promises with his fingertips. 

He was lost in the embrace of the lithe woman in front of him, never intending to be found, and pulled her closer when she spoke, always preparing for her to voice words of regret.

"Castle, this is hard for me, but I feel the same way that you do. And I want you to know that. I want you to know that I really do lo-"

He pressed his lips to hers before she could finish, letting out a small chuckle at the surprise on her face. "Take your time with it." He sighed, content for now, "I know, Kate." They rolled onto their sides, no longer physically joined, but feeling closer than they had in a long time. He kissed her forehead before pulling the sheet over their warm bodies, sighing as he felt her body relax once more. "I know."


End file.
